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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares his radio log art of a recent Voice of Korea broadcast.
Carlos notes:
Announcement of the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the DPRK, via KCBS Pyongyang, domestic radio service from DPRK, broadcasting in Korean, listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, shortwave frequency of 11680 kHz.
Announcement of the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the DPRK, via Voice of Korea, broadcasting in English from Kujang, North Korea, listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, shortwave frequency of 12015 kHz.
Announcement of the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the DPRK, via Voice of Korea, broadcasting in Spanish from Kujang, North Korea, listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, shortwave frequency of 12015 kHz.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares his radio log art of a recent Voice of Korea broadcast.
Carlos notes:
News excerpt from Voice of Korea, broadcasting from Kujang, North Korea, 12015 kHz.
North Korea raising the tone yet more against provocations by the US, South Korea and Japan.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares his radio log art of a recent Voice of Korea broadcast.
Carlos notes:
Part of news bulletin from Voice of Korea Radio, 12015 kHz, broadcasting in English from Kujang, North Korea, and listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, November 4, 2022, 21h (UTC).
“Press Statement of Pak Jong Chon, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea
It is reported that the United States and south Korea have decided to prolong the “Vigilant Storm” joint air drill.
It is a very dangerous and wrong option.
The irresponsible decision of the United States and south Korea drives the present situation created by the provocative military action of the allied forces to an uncontrollable situation.
The United States and south Korea will come to know that they made irretrievable terrible mistake.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares his radio log art of a recent Voice of Korea broadcast.
Carlos notes:
Voice of Korea, 11865 kHz, broadcasting in Japanese from Kujang, North Korea.
Kim Jong Un guides test-firing of long-range strategic cruise missiles.
Listened this morning [13 Oct 2022] in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Of course, who really knows? North Korea isn’t public about any of their activities, so we rely on information from enthusiasts who have taken it upon themselves to investigate and confirm. Johnson assumed, “The most likely use [of DRM] would be as an audio feed to other stations and sites.” He used Radio New Zealand’s DRM service as an example, but I felt this to be unlikely with North Korea who doesn’t seem to use FM, MW, or shortwave relay sites in other parts of the world.
Fortunately, our friend Mark Fahey is an expert on North Korean media, broadcasts, and propaganda. Mark is the author and curator of the dynamic Behind The Curtain project.
I reached out to Mark via text message regarding North Korea’s use of DRM. Here’s what Mark shared with me earlier this week. This roughly follows the string of messages we exchanged.
Mark writes:
[October 3, 2022] I have been turning into the North Korean DRM today on the new reported frequency in the [Red Tech] magazine: 6140kHz, though it’s not VOK, it’s a relay of 819kHz Pyongyang.
This service is called KCBS – Korean Central Broadcasting Service – it’s the main domestic service that is available on MW (a few FM outlets) and domestic SW across North Korea.
I will grab an audio ID off DRM for you at the top of the next hour – 0100 UTC. The DRM broadcast is only running one audio stream. It’s ACC audio 14.56kbps. As for purpose, maybe to feed the national AM relays, but also could be for North Korean ships, etc.
The other DRM frequency of 3205kHz is not on the air at the moment. I will check for it over the next 24hrs etc.
I just recorded the top of the hour. It was going in and out of DRM sync – I will send it now. I will grab a better sample tonight when there is a darkness path. The sun is well up in Pyongyang & Sydney at the moment (Noon Sydney – 10AM North Korea). Here is the Top Of The Hour ID from 10 minutes ago…
KCBS 6140 kHz (October 3, 2022)
I will record the station opening as well tomorrow morning – this domestic service also has an interval signal (the same tune as VOK–the first bars of “The Song (Hymn) of Kim Il Sung”). The opening is at 2000 UTC.
[October 4, 2022] OK here you go: both audio files (one from 6140kHz and the other from 3205kHz) are just from minutes ago as KCBS Pyongyang signed on. The signals go in and out of DRM lock here and this morning 3205kHz was the better–displayed at SNR at 13dB but still the DRM signal was breaking up.
Both DRM transmitters are running the same program: the main MW national service as heard on 819kHz in Pyongyang.
So I’m sure this DRM has nothing to do with the Voice Of Korea and is for domestic purposes.
I actually do not think it has anything to do with feeding remote transmitters as the DPRK has fibre and microwave links already in place for that purpose. I myself think it’s more likely intended for North Korean fishing vessels, navy, merchant shipping etc. But of course, nobody truly knows!
KCBS 3205 kHz (October 4, 2022)
KCBS 6140 kHz (October 4, 2022)
Thank you so much for your recordings and insight, Mark!
As I mentioned, Mark has a massive DPRK audio repository on his website Behind The Curtain. These are recordings you simply can’t find anywhere else, including hours of pristine Pyongyang FM recorded on a CC-Crane Witness Mark personally smuggled into Pyongyang.
In fact, the above photo is the CC Witness in Mark’s hand overlooking central Pyongyang.
Mark told me that the CC Witness was ideal–he used it on a number of content gathering trips to North Korea as it resembled an MP3 player or dictation recorder rather than a radio. Since it wasn’t suspected as being a radio recording device, it passed through the North Korean border each time without incident.
It’s an understatement to say that Mark took a number of risks to gather North Korean media from “Behind the Curtain.” Thank you, again, Mark, for sharing this info about DPRK DRM broadcasts.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who writes:
Hi Thomas,
Several listeners have posted videos on YouTube about receiving broadcasts of “The Voice of Korea” on 6140 kHz DRM – Digital Radio Mondiale.
One video in particular caught my attention, from Indian listeners in the Kerala region:
Indeed, these headphones use a Chinese receiver, the G-226 from GOSPELL which is also sold by TECSUN in Australia: https://www.tecsunradios.com.au/store/product/tecsun-drm-radio/
So, you can see how this receiver works.
All this has aroused my curiosity! And yesterday, Friday 17 June 2022, at 20:00 UTC I connected to several kiwi SDRs in the Pacific area. The DRKP signal could be picked up almost 8,000 km from the transmitter site near Pyong-Yang.
Here attached a screenshot and an audio file recorded with a kiwi SDR located a few kilometres away near Perth, Australia – Distance according to Google Maps, about 7960 km
The signal is encoded in AAC and not xHE AAC
[Audio: Note that the audio level jumps several times, so don’t turn up the volume too high.]
Who is this program for? According to Indian radio listeners, probably to the North Korean fleet in the Pacific. To be continued.
Have a nice weekend. Yours sincerely
Paul JAMET
I would have never guessed VOK would broadcast in DRM. Very interesting indeed. Perhaps we’ll learn more about this with time or someone can confirm whether or not this is actually VOK. Thank you for sharing this, Paul!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who writes:
Hello Thomas,
I hope everything is fine.
To complete Carlos Latuff’s contribution, here is a recording of the French language program of “La Voix de la Corée” made the afternoon of May 30, 2022 at 14h00 UTC on the frequency 13760 kHz with a TECSUN PL-365 connected to a 5m wire antenna of about 5 meters length.
Recording:
I attach the picture of the receiver on an old wall (see above); the screen displays the frequency and the signal characteristics: Signal strength unit: 27 dBu – Signal to Noise Ratio (S/N) unit: 08 dB
The other frequency used at the same time is 15245 kHz but I could not hear anything!
I hope that this information will hold your attention. See you next time. Sincerely yours.
Carlos notes:
